Family Equality Council Commends President Barack Obama For Recognizing The Importance Of Finding Good Homes For LGBTQ Youth In His National Foster Care Month Proclamation

Family Equality Council praises President Barack Obama for recognizing the importance of finding homes for LGBTQ youth in his statement on National Foster Care Month, which begins today and runs throughout May. He explicitly called attention to the delays LGBTQ youth in care can and do face in finding forever families, stating that “all young people, regardless of what they look like, which religion they follow, who they love, or the gender they identify with, deserve the chance to dream and grow in a loving, permanent home.”

The president also stressed that eligible adults should not be denied the ability to serve as foster or adoptive parents based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. Said Obama, “It is important to ensure all qualified caregivers have the opportunity to serve as foster or adoptive parents, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status . . . . we are working to break down the barriers that exist.”

Statement from Family Equality Council Public Policy Director Emily Hecht-McGowan:

“The president should be commended for recognizing the importance of placing LGBTQ youth in good homes and acknowledging that LGBTQ youth in care are discriminated against in many parts of the country. He also emphasized that discriminating against prospective parents for their sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status limits children’s chances of placement with permanent families. Thousands of children are being prevented from finding loving homes.”

Statement from Family Equality Council Executive Director Gabriel Blau:

“Obama is also bringing attention to the fact that many qualified and interested LGBTQ people are being turned away when they seek to serve as adoptive and foster parents. The president recognizes that a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status has nothing to do with whether he or she will be a good parent.”

For TV, newspaper and web interviews with Hecht-McGowan or Blau, contact Bradley Jacobs at (917) 324-8771 or bjacobs@familyequality.org.

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About Family Equality Council®: Family Equality Council® connects, supports, and represents the three million parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer in this country today and their six million children of all ages. We are changing attitudes and policies to ensure that all families are respected, loved, and celebrated—including families with parents who are LGBTQ. We are a community of parents, children, grandparents, and grandchildren that reaches across this country. For over 30 years we have raised our children and raised our voices toward fairness for all families.